North Lakes combine power pop with punk rock, all the while maintaining a distinct gritty garage tune to them. They combine the old with the new, both in sound and in feeling. With songs that reek of nostalgia but also contain the scent of modernity, it’s a unique confluence that sets them apart. Much like many other artists over past couple of years, the songs on Black Cat Music Volume 1 draw some semblance of influence from the effects of the pandemic. Not only does the record document the state of the band today and their own journey, but it also illuminates feelings of letting go after prolonged isolation and recognizing who matters most.
There’s a swagger that’s immediately obvious on this record. The vocal performance on ‘After The Drifts’ almost instantly has you feeling like this is a group who’s got style. The production, defiantly and intentionally gritty with a layer of distortion and static adds to the garage feeling. The chorus on ‘Noise on the Anvil’ is some of the most restrained but addictive work I’ve heard on a rock project all year. The riffs aren’t half bad either, compelling you to head bang along to the seemingly strangely nostalgic but forward thinking work on this project. This first volume looks at the Atlantic Canadian relationship with winters, which are largely spent dreaming of summers. That sense of imagery, of vivid landscapes and places definitely plays into the sound of this record.
North Lakes combine two seemingly disparate styles with such ease that you wonder why it hasn’t been replicated before. The slightly whiny and poppy elements that make pop punk so addictive go surprisingly well with the more grittier and heavier soundscapes of garage.
‘Feel Nothing’, which could be the record’s defining piece, is also its most ambitious. It’s almost like a progressive rock record, building with purpose and entirely enveloping you in its overbearing production that leaves you absolutely transfixed and slightly disoriented.
A rock record to reckon with.